How Trump-Vance Admin Is Already Reshaping The Food System

Danielle Nierenberg

Danielle Nierenberg

It has been a tumultuous few weeks in the United States as the new Trump-Vance Administration makes changes to global humanitarian aid, immigration, and health policy. We are tracking these changes closely so all of us feel informed with the power of information—because no matter what side of the aisle you belong to, these changes will have far-reaching impacts that'll extend well beyond the next four years.

(The realities of these policies are ever-changing, so this is where things stand as of today, Feb. 6.)

Here are three main topics to watch:

1. Hunger, Both Around The Globe And In The U.S.

Despite many campaign statements focused on inflation, new and proposed policies by the Trump-Vance Administration will likely make food more expensive—hurting those already struggling to afford to feed their families. According to a new working paper by a trio of university economic researchers, Trump’s tariff policies and trade conflicts with Canada, Mexico, China, and other countries will make both imported and domestic items more pricey across the board.

The Trump-Vance Administration has also taken steps to freeze foreign aid, including weakening or abolishing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In more than 65 countries, USAID provides vital humanitarian services, medical care, food relief, local capacity-building, and more. This abrupt freeze puts global food security at grave risk by undermining humanitarian relief programs that reach more than 60 million people.

And this week, nearly all the agency’s staff are set to be placed on administrative leave and have been recalled to the United States, an expensive undertaking that puts diplomatic workers at risk and severely jeopardizes the state of global peace efforts, CNN reports. It also uproots lives and communities in the nations where USAID employees live. 

“Cutting benefits for those who need help, that’s not a way that we reduce waste in our government,” said U.S. Congressman Eric Sorensen.

2. Immigration and Food Labor

From farms to factories to food service, much of the U.S. food system is powered by hard-working immigrants. More than three-quarters of crop farmworkers in the U.S. are either documented or undocumented immigrants, for example.

And in addition to contributing to the cultural diversity of communities, data shows countless ways that immigration also helps keep both urban and rural economies strong. Nearly 1 in 6 tax dollars paid to all levels of U.S. government comes from immigrant households, and immigration helps not only immigrants themselves but non-immigrant livelihoods, too, according to the George W. Bush Institute.

Many of the half-dozen-plus executive orders on immigration and deportation signed so far—such as the raids the Trump-Vance Administration has directed U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct, against immigrants both with and without proper documentation—will be disastrous for the food system. Farms will struggle, food availability will drop, costs will probably increase, and analysts project that food system jobs could instead be replaced by an expansion of the H-2 visa system that's rife with abusive working conditions, human trafficking allegations, and wage theft.

3. Health Of People And Planet

As of January 2026, the U.S. will officially withdraw from both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 

Already, several key agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have begun reducing their collaboration with the WHO. The Trump-Vance Administration also signed an executive order pausing funding allocated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included landmark steps like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and billions of dollars toward more diverse agriculture systems. 

This disengagement with the global health and humanitarian communities is especially troubling as officials continue to watch the spread of avian flu from animals, including cattle, to humans. As Stefano Bertozzi, a Professor at the Berkeley School of Public Health, wrote: “That’s exactly the kind of thing we want to be monitoring globally, and we want to collaborate with all other countries, not just the ones that we’re currently friends with.”

As always, Food Tank will continue to watch the development of both U.S. and global food policy. You can read more about the Congressional nomination hearings for two top health and food officials: Brooke Rollins, on track to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, HERE, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., likely to be confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, HERE. 

And I hope you’ll tune into my conversation with Tom Philpott, a Senior Research Associate at the Center for a Livable Future and a former food and agriculture journalist, today on the Food Talk podcast. More details on our conversation are lower down in this newsletter.

Let’s continue dialogue—and share our hopes—for the next few years of food and agriculture, health, and climate policy in the U.S. and around the world. What are you watching out for? Share your thoughts with me at danielle@foodtank.com. I look forward to talking more with you.

(Danielle Nierenberg is the President of Food Tank and can be reached at danielle@foodtank.com)